Forum Topic

Rats

I live in south acton  I seen a lot of  rats lately even though I   have 2 cats . Anyone  else  see a increase .

John Kennedy ● 3072d11 Comments

A lot of rain seems to make a difference. I guess their usual runs are upset.  I'm told they are always there but they aren't that keen on humans so tend to keep their distance.

Philippa Bond ● 3072d

Plus bins are only emptied fortnightly, so the rat population will have increased.

Tania Bapuji ● 3072d

Hate them maybe with  the new flats about ie Acton gardens  they are on the move but seen quite a few  even with the cats

John Kennedy ● 3072d

What has the bins (supplied by the Council) being emptied fortnightly got to do with an increase in rats?  We have food waste bins emptied weekly (well generally) and recycling bins so there should be very little in the residual waste bin. Where are these people who are having trouble with their bins?  You can ask the West London Waste Authority to come and give advice - as well as the Council and Councillors.http://westlondonwaste.gov.uk/take-action/

Philippa Bond ● 3071d

I understand that blocks of flats do not always have individual bins. None of the houses along where I live are supplied with bins, if we are very lucky we may get an intermittent supply of clear plastic re-cycling bags (which are then loaded into the same lorry as everything else).I have found that the best way here is to have live capture rat traps from Toolstation placed where they try to come on to my property, and I ensure that they do not exit alive.

Christopher Bell ● 3070d

If it is blocks of flats - then there should be management of those flats.  Are the individual flats being given the proper information.  And is there a food waste collection for flats because there is in some boroughs.  I still think that the West London Waste team could be requested to work with the residents.There are places with three weekly residual collections and four weekly has been proposed.We ourselves keep our residual waste in a metal dustbin we bought many years ago and only put it out when the black bag is full.  Which has meant that when we were working at zero waste we managed six months (Mrs Green of www.myzerowaste.com managed a year).  It all depends on whether we have any babies staying or whether we have any polystyrene packaging.  (You can ask delivery drivers delivering white goods to take the packaging back with them.)  When the wheelies were supplied there were many free ordinary dustbins that became available.  It was amazing how many people were actually using their own bins already.  You can probably still get one on freecycle if you ask.I think I remember Christopher that you live on a red route - and I hope that the Council will hurry up and roll out better recycling to the flats that don't have that now.  Residents should be talking to their Councillors.  There is power in numbers.

Philippa Bond ● 3070d

We are in a flat above a shop and can’t have a food bin or wheely bin.  We get clear sacks.We have to put our rubbish out on the High Street before 7am on bin day.

Gill Hothersall ● 3070d

I don't that Hounslow are providing any recycling for flats above shops.  Which since they did once - hasn't gone down very well with those who did recycle.  The trouble is that when bins are provided they are so often abused by people fly-tipping waste - many of whom are probably businesses without waste contracts.In some places in this country they have community composting and in some flats above shops have strong gull-proof bags in which to safeguard their waste until collection.  Eventually maybe we will get underground segregated waste bins as in Sydney.Maybe it is also time that the council re-looked at the waste contracts around all the problem areas.

Philippa Bond ● 3069d

I'm encouraging the local foxes to continue visting, three cubs currently gamboling in the sunshine in my (rather overgrown) back garden.Hopefully "rat" is still on their diet.

Rosco White ● 3069d

I agree - although I don't actively encourage them - that it is good that rat is usually on the foxes' menu.

Philippa Bond ● 3069d

It is good to see that there are now better planning procedures in place putting Conditions in place on the granting of permissions to divide houses into flats.  These are important for health and safety.  Some houses have been divided without permission and we all need to be aware of the problems that this may cause such as lack of fire separation between dwellings, lack of strengthening of floors and inadequate sound insulation - especially where living rooms have been created over bedrooms, and lack of adequate waste and recycling storage inside and out of buildings.  These safeguards are important for us all as a community as poor housing causes a lot of stress in people's lives.

Philippa Bond ● 3068d